Plans for a massive QTS data center in Salem Township prompted warnings from a Pennsylvania rescue group, which says dozens of feral cats remain on land set aside for the project.
The property covers about 1,700 acres, The Citizens' Voice reported, and includes boarded-up houses as well as feral cat colonies.
What happened?
Friends & Ferals, a trap-neuter-release nonprofit with years of experience in Salem Township, said it had been removing feral cats from the QTS Data Centers property before company leadership told the group to stop.
Friends & Ferals President Robin Massina said that the nonprofit started work at the site May 5 and had taken in 58 cats, most of them unsocialized, while placing 19 in barns.
But in a June 19 email, QTS philanthropy vice president Kimberly Hines wrote that the company had "engaged another organization to take over … because of the number of cats involved and the timing of upcoming site activity."
Hines added that the cats would be "humanely trapped, provided with any needed veterinary care, and then placed for rehoming or adoption through shelters and rescue partners across several states," The Citizens' Voice reported.
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Salem Township resident Samantha Boyer, a member of the rescue's board, said Friends & Ferals had not accepted a $30,000 grant from QTS.
She said QTS and contractor Ace Solutions had not identified the rescue group or rescue groups that would receive the cats or the veterinarians who would treat them.
Why does it matter?
For rescuers, the conflict comes down to animal welfare during redevelopment: What happens to abandoned cats when construction proceeds before they can be safely relocated?
The rescue says transparency matters when feral cats are trapped on vacant properties, especially after houses have been boarded up.
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"It wasn't about the money or the proposal; it was about making sure these cats got out safely and got the futures they deserved," Massina said, per The Citizens' Voice.
Large data centers are part of the rapid growth of AI and cloud computing. While artificial intelligence can help utilities forecast demand, reduce waste, and integrate clean energy, the facilities behind that growth can consume enormous amounts of electricity and water.
That can put pressure on local grids, push up energy costs, and create other concerns, including security risks and detrimental community impacts.
What are people saying?
QTS said it was not considering extermination.
"We did not and are not pursuing extermination as a solution," QTS senior public relations manager Karen Cohen told The Citizens' Voice. "Our focus remains on humane, responsible removal and relocation."
Massina disputed the company's version of events, saying, "We never told them we were at capacity. We never told them we couldn't handle it."
She added: "Just give us the answers."
Vickie VanGorder, a humane society police officer with the SPCA of Luzerne County, said she was "personally investigating" the situation and had "no reason to believe anything illegal has occurred," according to The Citizens' Voice.
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